Armrest for invalids&#39; chairs



Jan. 13, 1942. I s. A. s|| 2,269,918

ARMREST FOR INVALIDS CHAIR Filed Nov. 8, 1940 Patented Jan. 13, 1942 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE ARMREST FOR INVALIDS CHAIRS George A. Sill, Elgin, Ill.

Application November 8, 1940, Serial No. 364,877

8 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in arm rests or supports for invalids chairs and similar devices.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements in the arm rest construction of chairs designed for the use and convenience of invalids and sick persons, the main object being to provide a chair which may be easily rolled from place to place and which embodies arm rests either one or both of which may be moved to an out of the Way position, so that the sick person or invalid may be moved from a bed or a couch or vice versa, without interference or obstruction from the arm rests.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chair of the character described having arm rests which may be latched securely in a normal position, and which may be swung to an inoperative position and secured there out of the way whenever an invalid or sick person desires to move sideways out of or on to the chair.

A further object of the invention is to-provide arm rests for invalids chairs having a support below the seat and lock members associated therewith for locking the arm rests either in their normal position or in an inoperative position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pivotally mounted arm rest having a support below the chair seat in which a coiled spring member co-operates to keep the support locked in either a normal or an inoperative position and also assists in raising the arm rest to normal position.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following description wherein reference is had to the accompanying sheet of drawings upon which- Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of an invalids chair embodying my improved arm rests;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the seat, arm rests, and supporting brackets; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, with the arm rest shown in dotted linesin its changed position.

In the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated, I have shown generally an invalids or crippled persons chair which may comprise the seat I0, a pair of arm rests l4 and IS, a foot rest IS, a back 20 and a wheeled support designated generally by the number 22 and upon which all of these various parts are supported.

The arm rests l4 and It may be constructed of wood or leather upon a wood backing or any other desirable material, and be of a desired width and length. Each of the arm rests is supported upon a tubular post member- 24 that has a flattened horizontal portion 26 adapted to be fastened below each of the arms I and It in any suitable or desirable manner. The post member 24 is adapted to extend downwardly to a point below the seat H! of the chair and have a right-angle bend and a portion 28. extending parallel to and'directly beneath the seat of the chair. I provide a U-shaped bracket 3|] for the end 28 of each of the posts 24 provided with downwardly. depending leg portions 34 and 32 which contain suitable openings 36 to receive the portion 28 of the post.

The posts are both held against removal from the brackets 30 by a pin member 38 positioned upon the inside of the legs 32. In order to keep the postmembers 24in an upright position to support thearm rests in the-position shown in Fig. 1 when desired, I provide a pin member 40 which extends through the portion 28 of the post member and is secured thereto. In the upright .position of post 24, pin member 40 is aligned with and engaged in a pair of slots 42 in the leg 34 of the bracket 30. .This effectively prevents the post from being tilted to a difierent angle and holds the arm rests substantially rigid. I provide a coiled compression spring 44 which has one end 46 secured in an elongated slot 41 in .the member 28 and its opposite end bearing against the leg 34 of the bracket 30.

When it is desired tomove the arm out of the way, as for example when an invalid or a sick person is being transferred from the chair to a bed or water closet, pressure upon the post 24 will move the pin 40 out of the slots 42 so the arm can be rotated in a clock-wise direction approximately degrees where the pins may engage in the aligned slots 48, thus holding the arm in an out of the way position.

From the above and foregoing description, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that I have provided a. comparatively simple yet highly efiicient arm rest construction wherein the arm rest is capable of being moved to an out of the way-position to allow the patient to be transferred to a bed or couch, or from a bed or couch to the chair, without great exertion either. to the patient or nurse or other attendant, or without possibility of injury to the patient. While the structure which I have disclosed is preferred, it will of course be understood that changes and modifications may be made in the form, arrangement and detail of construction of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention; I do not wish to be limited in any particular, rather what I desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The combination with an invalids chair comprising a seat, a back and a wheeled carriage to support the same, of horizontally disposed arm rests each having a vertical tubular post flattened at its upper end and secured to the bottom of the arm rest, the post extending downwardly below the chair and having a portion bent at right angles and extending under the chair seat, a U-shaped bracket on each side of the chair seat to receive said inwardly bent portions, a coiled spring secured to said portion disposed between the arms of said U-shaped bracket, slots in one leg of said bracket and a pin member on the bent portion of said post adapted to engage in said slots in either an operative or an inoperative position of said arm rest.

2. The combination with an invalids chair comprising a seat, a back and a wheeled carriage to support the same, of horizontally disposed arm rests each having a vertical tubular post flattened at its upper end and secured to the bottom of the arm rest, the post extending downwardly below the chair seat and having a portion bent at right angles and extending under the chair seat, a U-shaped bracket on each side of the chair seat to receive said inwardly bent portions, a coiled spring secured to said portion disposedbetween the arms of said U- shaped bracket, two pairs of slots in one leg of said bracket and a pin member on the bent portion of said post adapted to engage in a pair of said slots in either an operative or an inoperative position of said arm rest.

3. The combination with an invalids chair comprising a seat, a back and a wheeled carriage to support the same, of horizontally disposed arm rests each having a vertical tubular post flattened at its upper end and secured to the bottom of the arm rest, the post extending downwardly below the chair seat and having a portion bent at right angles and extending under the chair seat, a U-shaped bracket on each side of the chair seat to receive said inwardly bent portions, a coiled spring secured to said portion disposed between the arms of said U- shaped bracket, two pairs of slots in one leg of said bracket and a pin member on the bent portion of said post adapted to engage in a pair of said slots in either an operative or an inoperative position of said arm rest.

4. The combination with an invalids chair comprising a seat, a back and a wheeled carriage to support the same, of horizontally disposed arm rests each having a vertical tubular post flattened at its upper end and secured to the bottom of the arm rest, the post extending downwardly below the chair seat and having a portion bent at right angles and extending under the chair seat, a U-shaped bracket on each side of the chair seat to receive said inwardly bent portions, a coiled spring secured to said portion disposed between the arms of said U- shaped bracket, two pairs of slots in one leg of said bracket and a pin member on the bent portion of said post adapted to engage in a pair of said slots in either an operative or an inoperative position of said arm rest, said spring means positioned between the legs of said U- shaped bracket and being a coiled spring around the bent portion of said post having one end fastened thereto.

5. The combination with an invalids chair comprising a seat, a back and a wheeled carriage to support the same, of horizontally disposed arm rests each having a vertical tubular post flattened at its upper end and secured to the bottom of the arm rest, the post extending downwardly below the chair seat and having a portion bent at right angles and extending under the chair seat, a U-shaped bracket positioned on the bottom on each side of the chair seat to receive said inwardly bent portions, slots in one leg of said bracket and a pin member on the bent portion of said post adapted to engage in said slots in either an operative or an inoperative position of said arm rest.

6. The combination with an invalids chair having a wheeled support, a seat and a back rest, of arm supports on both sides of said seat, said arm supports including arm rest portions, a tubular post member connected to each of said arm rest portions, said post member extending downwardly and at right angles under the seat, a U-shaped bracket secured to the bottom of the seat on both sides thereof to receive the ends of said post members and co-operating members on said post members and said brackets for locking said post members in anoperative or an inoperative position.

7. The combination with an invalids chair having a wheeled support, a seat and a back rest, of arm supports on both sides of said seat, said arm supports including arm rest portions, a tubular post member connected to each of said arm rest portions, said post member extending downwardly and at right angles under the seat, a U- shaped bracket secured to the bottom of the seat on both sides thereof to receive the ends of said post members and co-operating members on said post members and said brackets for locking said post members in an operative or an inoperative position said co-operating means including a pin member on said post member and slots on said bracket member.

8. The combination with an invalids chair having a wheeled support, a seat and a back rest, of arm supports on both sides of said seat, said arm supports including arm rest portions, a tubular post member connected to each of said arm rest portions, said post member extending downwardly and at right angles under the seat, a U-shaped bracket secured to the bottom of the seat on both sides thereof to receive the ends of said post members and co-operating members on said post members and said brackets for locking said post members in an operativeor an inoperative position, said co-operating means ineluding a pin member on said post member and slots on said bracket member and a coiled spring about said post member interposed between the legs of said bracket.

GEORGE A. SILL. 

